


the ways we say "i love you"

by splashstar



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Cooking, Couch Cuddles, Drabble Collection, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Movie Night, Overworking, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Sharing Clothes, Sickfic, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 5,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26804602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splashstar/pseuds/splashstar
Summary: --vocaloid ship drabbles based on otp-tober 2020 prompts.
Relationships: Fukase/Kagamine Rin, Hatsune Miku/Megurine Luka, Hiyama Kiyoteru/Kamui Gakupo, Kagamine Len/Kaito, Nekomura Iroha/Utatane Piko
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	1. 'fess up

**Author's Note:**

> me: pls work on your actual multichapter fic that you've been sitting on for a month  
> also me: haha drabble prompts go brrrr
> 
> prompts were created by digitalpopsicle/trashypopsicle on instagram!
> 
> i'm not used to posting anything less than 600 words anymore lmao but maybe this will teach me that it's okay to write shorter/less detailed stuff sometimes......
> 
> as always, ratings/warnings/tags may be updated with each chapter + updates will be sporadic/will most likely go on past october considering my usual writing speed lol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: confessions  
> ship: negitoro/kailen
> 
> \--luka asks len for advice.

“Len-kun?”

Len paused his game and turned toward the direction of the voice he’d heard, and there stood Luka at the entrance to the hallway leading into the living room. “Yeah?”

Luka sat down on the couch next to him, her posture as prim as ever compared to his crossed legs in his seat. “Can I ask you for some advice?”

Wait. What? “Uh... _depends?_ ” Len began, his voice tentative. “Advice on what, exactly?”

“Asking somebody out.”

Len almost choked on his spit, picking his controller up out of his lap and starting his game again. “I don’t know if you should be asking me for help with that, Luka-nee.”

Luka tilted her head, unfazed at his attempt to start ignoring her. “Oh? Why not?”

“It’s not really...anything I know how to go about explaining.”

“But aren’t you and Kaito-san dating?”

“Y-yeah, but--”

“So how did you two start dating?”

Of course Luka wasn’t going to give up on this so easily; she was never the type to leave without an answer if she wanted one. Len swallowed, not really knowing why he was so nervous about saying it out loud to her, but he supposed there was nothing for it. “It wasn’t anything out of a fairytale, if that’s what you’re expecting. We were just out at karaoke once a couple years ago and he said it out of nowhere, and it went from there.”

Luka gave a small giggle at the thought. That definitely sounded like something Kaito would do. “I see.”

“Why are you asking me this, anyway?” Luka opened her mouth to speak, but the boy interrupted her. “Wait. Is this about Mi--”

“ _Shh!_ ” Luka folded her hands over Len’s mouth, effectively silencing him and distracting him from his game. The 'game over' music played from the TV, but it was hardly anything important at this point. He waved a hand dismissively, and she pulled her hands back. “Don’t tell her, please,” she whispered, slight desperation in her tone.

“Alright, alright, I won’t,” he chuckled, keeping his voice down. “But if you’re gonna confess to her, just do whatever you think works. It might be a little awkward, but at least that didn’t stop Kaito. And if that doesn’t say much, we’ve been a thing for over two years.”

“Fair enough.” Luka stood from her seat with a smile and walked toward the staircase. “Thank you, Len-kun.”

If that wasn't a smile that said she had something planned, Len didn't know what it was. If he was being honest with himself, a part of him was kind of looking forward to it. “...No problem, I guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i don't actually have a set hc for how kaito and len started dating since it kinda changes every time i write them but i'm rly tempted to keep this one lol


	2. kiss kiss fall in love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: first date + holding hands + first kiss  
> ship: pikoiro
> 
> \--piko and iroha take a lot of first steps in one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rating has gone up from gen to teen bc of fukase lmao
> 
> so i decided to merge some of the prompts together instead of doing one drabble for each one bc i was Dying trying to figure out individual plots......
> 
> also i may or may not end up skipping some of the prompts/doing some out of order but that being said i'll try not to skip any

It was true what people said about time moving faster when you were having fun, Piko learned as the train they were on continued to ride the rails back to Ueno. Iroha was sound asleep against his shoulder, and it was a wonder how he wasn't the one that ended up passing out first with how exhausted he was--but it was a good kind of exhausted.

The train eventually came to their stop, and Piko slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. He gently shook Iroha awake again before they stood and followed the sea of people out to the platform. They left the train station hand-in-hand, getting a few smiles from older couples on the way out, and found themselves under a darkening sky, the golden lights coming from inside the station and above their heads illuminating them and giving them a clear view of one another.

"Well...I guess this is where we split up. Careful going back home, okay?"

Iroha tilted her head curiously. "You don't wanna go say hi to the others before you go back to Akasaka?"

"I have to get up early tomorrow. Maybe I can come hang out if I'm free next week, though. Say hi to them for me for now."

"Yeah, fine." The pink-haired girl smiled. "Thanks for today, Piko-kun. I had fun."

Piko nodded. "Me too. Um...think we could do this again sometime?"

"Yeah, of course."

A pause made Piko entirely conscious of the situation again. Their hands still hadn't disconnected--if anything, their grip on each other had only gotten tighter. Hazel eyes stared into heterochromatic cyan and green, and suddenly Iroha propped herself up on her tiptoes to reach Piko’s lips for a quick smooch. When they faced each other again, Iroha found herself laughing amusedly at Piko’s reddening face, proud of what she’d accomplished.

All of a sudden, Piko's brain was nothing but static. "I...Iroha?"

"Yeah?"

"Can...can we...do that again?"

Iroha giggled. "Fine. Just for you."

* * *

**_Pikopiko:_ **

_Sh_

_She kissed me_

_Twice_

**_Buy one:_ **

_!!!!!!_

**_shitlord extraordinaire(TM):_ **

_they grow up so fast..._

**_Pikopiko:_ **

_Shut up_

**_get one free:_ **

_how was it :)_

**_Pikopiko:_ **

_Her lips were soft_

_And they tasted like strawberries_

_And I feel kinda dizzy thinking about it_

**_Buy one:_ **

_Aww Piko-kun's in love!!!_

**_Pikopiko:_ **

_Shut UP_

**_shitlord extraordinaire(TM):_ **

_whoa did yall just like??? make out right away???_

_bold move bud i'm proud of you_

**_Pikopiko:_ **

_WE DID NOT!!!_

**_shitlord extraordinaire(TM):_ **

_dude lmao it's ok you don't gotta hide anything from us_

**_Pikopiko:_ **

_Fukase I swear to god I will End you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i did just recently get into them lol....iroha's 10th anniversary is also rly close so ig this counts as an early thing for her bc i probs won't be able to get anything up for her on the day of (´ε｀；)


	3. somebody's takin' the train to sleepytime junction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: cuddling  
> ship: negitoro
> 
> \--miku falls asleep in luka's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? listening to game grumps compilations while writing and then referencing them in titles? couldn't be

"Mm…?"

"Oh...sorry," Luka whispered, lifting her hand from Miku’s head after realizing she was stirring awake before her. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

A tired smile crossed Miku's lips as she turned her head to face her pink-haired girlfriend. "That's okay. Did I miss something?"

"No. I was just...playing with your hair."

"Mm...you can keep going, if you want," the tealette yawned. "It feels nice when you do it. And I know it makes you feel relaxed, too."

"Well...if you're okay with it."

"Of course I am. But...I want kisses, too. Just because you woke me up."

Luka smiled. As adorable a queen as ever, her Miku. "Hmm...how about this, then? Turn around to face me, and I can do both."

Well, that certainly wasn't an offer Miku could turn down. She twisted around in her position on the couch, settling her head against Luka’s shoulder and melting into her warm embrace. Luka pressed her lips sweetly against the younger girl’s forehead and moved her hand to twirl long strands of seafoam green hair in between her slender fingers. “Go back to sleep, okay? You deserve some rest after working so hard today.”

Glancing up at her, Miku smiled knowingly--or at least, as much as she could manage within her fatigue. “You should follow your own advice sometimes.”

“ _Hush_.”

Miku laughed, her joy absolute music to Luka’s ears, and snuggled up closer to her. “Fine. But next time, it’ll be _my_ turn to make you take a nap for once.”

Luka giggled softly. “Sounds fair to me, sweetie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl doing smaller/more insignificant scenes like this hurts the part of me that wants to go off and wax poetic and make things have more meaning but i am trying to let myself be okay with this format again (´;ω;)


	4. stay at home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: sick/injured  
> ship: kailen
> 
> \--len catches a cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're like,, already over halfway past october why did i think i could write this much this fast lmao
> 
> also since this is a kailen chapter, @ anyone who's been following [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24290677) i'm so sorry bc i've been making way slower progress on it but i promise ch 4 will be up by the time the year's out (´;ω;)

"This is it. I'm going to die. I can see the light already."

Kaito let out a quiet laugh as he sat in the chair next to the bundle of blankets on the bed. Yup. He was Rin's twin brother, all right. "Don't be so dramatic. You're fine, Len."

"Hey, Kaito?"

"Hm?"

"Did you know that when bananas rot, all the other fruits around them rot faster, too?"

"Isn't that...kind of like a murder-suicide?"

Len coughed into the white surgical mask on his face. "It is, isn't it?" he rasped.

Kaito reached over to the medicine box below the nightstand, digging into one of the side pockets for a cough drop; it was two hours too early for Len to be taking cough syrup again, and he had to eat something before then anyway. "Was that a warning, by the way?" he asked, handing him one in orange wrapping from the bag that Miku had dropped off the day before.

"Didn’t mean for it to be," Len sniffled, unwrapping it and slipping it under his mask and into his mouth. "It was just something I remembered, but...maybe you shouldn't get too close to me, after all."

Kaito pushed the box back under with his foot. "Someone's got to take care of you."

"I know. I just don't want to get you sick."

"Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine." Kaito lifted his hand and gently pressed his dorsal against Len's temple, careful not to disturb the cooling sheet on his forehead. "You should rest for now, anyway. Maybe when I wake you up for dinner later, your fever won't be as high."

"Fine." Kaito moved his hand up to stroke Len’s hair, and the blonde exhaled, relaxing into his touch. "...Love you, Kaito."

"Love you, too. Sweet dreams."

The warmth of Kaito's gentle hand left his skin, leaving him with the nearly uncomfortable heat that the blankets had been soaking up from his body, and the door closed softly. Len took a deep breath in through his mouth and closed his eyes, willing his fatigued body to take a nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no len didn't catch the 'rona but reminder to wear a mask and wash yalls hands anyway
> 
> also that conversation they had abt bananas rotting came from a tumblr post but it was from so long ago that i can't find it anymore lol...but i do still think abt it every once in a while bc it's so funny to me for some reason


	5. you gotta do the cooking by the book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: cooking + moving in  
> ship: rinkase
> 
> \--fukase makes breakfast.

“Whoa. I didn’t know you knew how to cook.”

Fukase turned his head, acknowledging Rin’s mischievous smile with an unimpressed look. “Excuse me? How many weeks have we been living in this apartment together, again?”

“Just kidding!” Rin laughed, wrapping her arms around him from behind as he continued. She peeked over his shoulder--thankfully, he wasn’t that much taller than her--to see that he was in the middle of making pancakes, and it confirmed the suspicions that her nose had planted in her subconscious.

“Why, are you any better?”

Rin shrugged, a noise of indifference escaping her throat. “I can cook _some_ things. I just don’t get fancy with it.”

“I wouldn’t consider pancakes _that_ fancy, but okay.”

“I bake stuff way more, though, so I guess I’m just better at that.”

“Oh, really?”

The redhead couldn’t see it, but he knew Rin was definitely narrowing her eyes at him. “What’s that condescending tone for?”

He snickered. “Nothing, nothing. You got a specialty?”

Rin let a proud smile spread across her face. “Actually...I do have a knack for making macarons, if I do say so myself.”

“ _Macarons?_ ” Fukase repeated in muted bewilderment. “Well, now you're just messing with me. Aren’t those impossible to make?”

“Not after you’ve been baking them for, like, maybe a third of your life.”

“Hm. You have a point. Teach me next time.” Fukase tapped her arm. “And go get some plates.”

Rin released him from her hold and reached up to open the cupboards. “Fine, but get ready for a lot of failure when we get around to it.”

“Pssh. Failure’s my middle name.”

“You’re doing it again,” Rin chided immediately, not even looking at him, and swatted him on the shoulder.

“ _Ow,_ ” he laughed quietly. “Sorry. Bad habits die hard.”

“You’ll probably be fine, anyway. You’ve got a master macaron maker in your corner, after all,” the blonde commented, her grin wide.

Fukase smirked and took the plates out of her hands. “We’ll see about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl i wanted to describe more stuff for this one but my brain rly said "no <3"
> 
> also i may or may not have the "fukase's really casually self-deprecating" hc.....and it may or may not show up again later in a different prompt.....


	6. heat haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: summertime fun (but not really lol)  
> ship: gakukiyo
> 
> \--kiyoteru gets a(nother) sunburn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hc that kiyoteru always gets sunburnt at least once every summer lmao...poor dude why do i always do this stuff to him
> 
> perhaps read chapters 5 and 6 of [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344848/chapters/60029254#workskin) for some context, but even w/o it you can still read this chapter just fine (´･ω･`) (but ig the only other thing you'd have to know is that i hc kiyoteru to be a high school teacher instead of an elementary teacher,,)

"You know,” Gakupo began, watching Kiyoteru hiss in pain as the angry, irritated sunburns on his shoulders rubbed up against the fabric of his shirt, “you don't have to sleep with your shirt on if it's just going to bother you."

"You just want to see me half-naked," the other man deadpanned.

"No, really, Kiyo."

Wordlessly, Kiyoteru gave in, reaching an arm out so Gakupo could help him sit back up on the bed. Once he was settled, Gakupo moved to occupy the other side as Kiyoteru unbuttoned his shirt. The brunet carefully removed his top as to avoid further irritating his shoulders, and Gakupo tossed it into the hamper next to the door as Kiyoteru slowly laid himself back down.

Gakupo smiled at him, an odd mix of amusement and concern in his expression. "That bad, huh?"

"It's bad, but it's not...the _worst_ thing that could've happened," Kiyoteru admitted. "In hindsight, it would've actually sucked more if we weren't on summer break."

"What if you weren't?"

"I'd probably die the moment I step foot on school premises," he answered unhesitatingly.

"Wow," Gakupo chuckled, "I didn't realize sunburns really brought out your pessimism."

Kiyoteru scoffed playfully. "It's not just the sunburns and we both know it."

The two laid on the bed in comfortable silence, backs flat against the mattress as they stared up at the ceiling. "Summer isn't actually fun for you, is it?" the lilac-haired man thought out loud.

"Not really."

"Is there a specific reason for it?"

Kiyoteru gave him a doubtful look in response, the raised corner of his lips a clear sign that he wasn't being serious, and Gakupo played along while fighting himself not to roll his eyes. “ _Besides_ the mountain of obvious reasons you have for not liking summer, I mean.”

The brunet let out a soft chuckle, but it died out just as quickly. "I don’t know. Just brings back bad memories, I guess."

"...I see. You don’t want to talk about it?"

Had his shoulders not been so against it, Kiyoteru would have shrugged. Instead, he let out a sound of nonchalance to take its place. “What is there to talk about that I haven’t already told you?”

“I guess. Ah, but in that case...there _is_ something I'm still curious about.”

"What's that?"

"A lot of the things you've told me about were things that happened when you were in school, and yet you still became a teacher despite all that.”

"...Oh," he muttered, as if he’d just realized that himself. "Yeah. Funny how that worked out for me, huh?"

"I would've assumed you'd have wanted to avoid working in a place that you were unhappy in for three straight years."

“ _Well_...okay, wait.” Kiyoteru waved a hand dismissively, trying to gather his thoughts. “No. Let me explain.”

“You have the floor, sweetheart.”

“Miki was the one who said I should be a teacher, but I wasn't sure about it for a while,” he elaborated. “But eventually I realized that...if I was going to be a teacher, I wanted to be one that the students actually feel like they can trust and open up to. I didn’t have that when I was their age, you know?”

Gakupo nodded pensively, his smile vaguely relaxing. "That's...really thoughtful of you, Kiyo. I'm sure they appreciate that a lot. But, you know...trying to take in all your students' problems is gonna take a toll on you eventually. You have to take care of yourself, too."

"I know."

The older man rolled onto his side to face Kiyoteru, pushing his elbow against the pillow and propping his head up with his fist. "And if _you_ ever need to talk, you've got me. You know I don't mind, and it'll just be between us. And besides, I think I'd be a pretty shitty boyfriend if I made you deal with it on your own."

Kiyoteru gave a lopsided smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will i ever stop adding more traumatic details to kiyoteru's backstory? one day probably, i feel bad and he doesn't deserve the shit i put on him lmao
> 
> this one got longer than intended but tbf i’ve had this idea for a few months now lol


	7. winter blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: rinkase  
> prompt: cozy winter + hurt/comfort + lazy morning
> 
> \--fukase decides to stay in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're at the end of october already.....that was fast.....

“You’re not up yet?”

“Don’t feel like it,” Fukase answered, a mumble from under the covers.

Rin paused. It was that time of the year again, she guessed, but it wasn’t his fault at all. It never was.

Fukase was one of the most easygoing, most sarcastic, and most passionate people she knew--but everyone had a mask, created out of their own traits and malleable to the situation, and everyone's mask crumbled sometimes.

For him--in the times where his mask started to crack--it was being quietly lost in thought until Rin got his attention, to which he would form some snarky comment in response, but his sarcasm would be more muted than usual.

It was making self-deprecating jokes when they'd started off making fun of someone else.

Writing in his sketchbook instead of drawing.

Going to bed way earlier than his usual twelve AM, tossing and turning in an attempt to find a position where his body could actually relax, and ending up still not asleep until one in the morning--and then having no will to leave the bed once morning came.

But at least, after years of having known him, Rin had some ideas of what to do. Most of the time, whatever worked for Len before--when the twins were still living under the same roof, and she found him in a negative headspace for whatever reason--tended to work for Fukase as well, but she'd ended up adding a few more means of consolation under her belt the first few times the cold weather sucked up his self-assurance and left him not knowing what to do with himself.

“Mind if I stay here with you?”

“ _Mmn_.”

Rin lifted the other side of the blanket behind Fukase and slipped into the bed, scooting herself closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him close, the pleasant scent of his shampoo still lingering from yesterday and tickling her nose. “Can I tell you something?” she murmured into his neck.

“What?”

“I’m glad you woke up today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no i did not project onto fukase for this (neither did i actually take insp from people i’ve known before, surprisingly) in case anyone was worried


	8. that's rad!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: pikoiro  
> prompt: movies + hanging out
> 
> \--piko has a new interest, and iroha takes notice.

"Huh," Iroha muttered from the doorway into the living room as Piko turned his head toward the sound of her voice. "Didn't really take you for the crime drama type."

"I just wanted to try something different today, I guess," the silver-haired boy responded as Iroha plopped down next to him on the couch.

"I thought you hate violent stuff like this."

Piko nodded. "I do."

"Then what the _hell_ are you doing watching _this?_ " Iroha asked, giving him a confounded look. 

"I'm trying to...get over it."

The coral-haired girl let out a noise of intrigued surprise. "Really? You sure it wasn't because of something someone said to you?" she half-teased.

Piko’s face flushed pink. "N...no."

"Piko _._ "

Heterochromatic eyes glared at her faintly. " _Iroha._ "

Iroha rolled her eyes playfully and poked his shoulder. "C'mon, we both know something's up here. If you've got something on your mind, you don't have to hide it. Is it embarrassing?"

"It's..." Piko sighed, giving up his struggle to explain himself. "A little."

"It's just me. I won't judge. But who said it?"

“No one said anything, really. I just...wanted to learn more about the stuff you like,” Piko began clarifying. “You talk about it all the time, and I love listening to you get excited about it, but...I don’t know enough to follow everything. I feel like you’d be better off talking to someone else who knows more about it than me. A wall might even be better than me.”

Iroha gave an almost bashful smile. “Aw, don’t say that. At least you’re putting in the effort--you could've just read a few wiki pages, but you're actually trying to watch these. Not a lot of people have that kind of patience. I appreciate that. But really, I know this stuff isn’t up your alley, so you don’t have to force yourself for me.”

Piko hummed stubbornly. “I still want to try.”

“Okay, fine. Then I won’t stop you.”

“...Just...maybe stay here next to me, though?” he requested softly, his cyan and green eyes both tentative and desperate at the same time. “I’ve been cringing a lot for the last hour. I don’t get how anyone gets used to watching stuff like this.”

Iroha just barely held in a laugh and squeezed his arm as she leaned against him. “Okay, okay. I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll tell you when to brace yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i had this idea while i was still just getting into the yakuza/ryu ga gotoku series and i'm not usually the type to be into that level of violence in games/movies/shows but,, yakuza rly is the exception lol
> 
> also i figured out which prompts i was going to combine and we are now about halfway done with this collection! i actually have a 16th chapter planned as well but idk if i want to post that one or not since it's a prompt from the nsfw version of the prompt list (it's not going to be anything super raunchy though, it's fluff for the most part lmao) but we'll see ig


	9. wrapped up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: kailen  
> prompt: clothing swap
> 
> \--kaito lends len his clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haven’t written these guys being genuinely cute in a fat minute...if only i wasn't writing a huge angst-centered fic about them getting constantly fucked over by a red piece of string lmao
> 
> my bed cuddles bias returns

"Kaito, what are you doing back there? And why'd you make me face away from the mirror?"

"Hang on, hang on! I'm almost done."

"You aren't answering my questions."

When Len had said that he was cold, he'd expected Kaito to just drape a blanket over him or something. Here he was instead, donning Kaito's blue and white coat--oversized or not, Len couldn't deny it gave him a sense of safety every time--while the older man behind him fidgeted with the scarf he'd also wrapped around his neck.

"Done!" Kaito's eyes practically sparkled in the reflection of the mirror inside the closet as Len turned toward it at his signal, and they both put their attention on the light blue scarf, which had been tied into a large bow at the back. _God,_ he was such a puppy dog sometimes. "What do you think?"

Len couldn't stop a soft giggle from escaping him. Why'd his boyfriend have to be so darn _cute?_ "I like it."

Kaito beamed happily. "I've been wanting to do that for a while, to be honest."

"You could've just asked. I wouldn't have had any objections." Len's smile disappeared at the sudden realization he'd just had. "But aren't _you_ cold now? I mean...you've just been wearing a t-shirt under this thing."

Kaito rubbed a hand up his forearm, feeling soft goosebumps. "Well...you're not wrong, I guess. But if you're really worried about that, then...why don't we just cuddle? That would warm us both up. Right?"

"...You did this on purpose, didn’t you?"

Kaito’s grin widened, and Len knew he'd caught him red-handed. "Not at first, but...the opportunity presented itself."

" _Right,_ " Len sassed, giving him a half-doubtful look. "Well, whatever. Get on the bed."

Gladly following Len's command, Kaito took up his side of the bed and the blonde followed suit on his own side. Kaito pulled him to his chest, and Len found himself hearing his relaxed breathing over him and the soft _thump_ of his heartbeat against his ear. Kaito's clothes may have been enough to warm him up, but being in his arms like this felt like home. Len let out a quiet laugh against Kaito's chest, and the blue-haired man looked down at him quizzically. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy."

Kaito smiled and moved his hand to stroke his hair. "Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all the fanart of kaito letting len borrow his coat absolutely gives me life,,, yall have no idea how much joy it brought me when mm2017 had that graphic of len and kaito cosplaying each other.........
> 
> i also sincerely hope they made you smile today bc writing this def gave me a huge serotonin boost (*ﾉ∀`*)


	10. take a break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: negitoro  
> prompt: vacation time + pet names + flirting
> 
> \--miku convinces luka to take a break from her work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> luka stop overworking herself challenge
> 
> (the reference i'm making with the title might not be obv since it's a vague common phrase but...if you know then you know lol)

“Luka, sweetie?”

“Yes?” Luka responded from the far end of the dining table where she was working in front of her laptop, remaining focused on her work as Miku came into the room and wrapped her arms around the older woman’s neck.

“Have I ever told you how much I love and appreciate you?”

Luka felt her face begin to heat up, but she did her best to stay calm. “A few times, yes.”

“A _few_ times?” Miku repeated in bewilderment as she retracted her arms, after which Luka allowed a giggle to slip out.

“Okay, okay,” the pink-haired woman laughed, “what do you want, dear?”

“You’ve been working for hours. You need to take a break.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish up in a bit.”

“You say that every time, and then you sit here for another two hours. When do you even need this done?” the younger woman asked.

“By Friday.”

“Friday!” Miku exclaimed. “And it’s still _Tuesday!_ ”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“ _Yes!_ ” she protested. “You’re working like you put it off for a month and it’s due by midnight tonight! _Kiyoteru's_ more of a procrastinator than you, and he's one of the most work-oriented people we know!” Miku sighed and settled her hands on Luka's shoulders gently. “Really, Luka. It’s really okay. It’s okay to take breaks sometimes.”

“Isn’t it...better to just get it done as soon as possible?”

“Yes, it is. But not to this extent.” Miku reached forward and gently closed the laptop screen. She glanced down behind her at the electrical socket in the wall to confirm that it was still plugged in, and then took Luka’s hand to lead her to the bedroom. “Come on. Come to bed with me. We’re taking a nap. You can get back to this tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hc that miku's the sweetest person when she's in public/around other vocaloids, but is more of an assertive diva when it's just her and luka
> 
> also i feel like luka would highkey be the type to be constantly unsatisfied with herself but miku's there to tell her she's doing great (´∀｀）


	11. aloe you vera much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: rinkase + bg kailen/pikoiro  
> prompt: flowers/gifts + fantasy (but not really tbh)
> 
> \--fukase leaves a gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one’s part of my lost destination au from a while ago...this is also kind of a bonus for those of you who are following [my huge kailen fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24290677) bc i am planning on using that au for one of the chapters so i can expand on it more bc i kinda love this au

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Rin began, putting a vase of arranged flowers down on the center of a table, “but are you the one that left those roses that were on my nightstand last night?”

Fukase bit his lip gently on the other side of the ballroom where the doors were, trying not to make his position obvious. “What makes you say that...?”

“...Well, for one, you didn’t deny it when I asked,” the maid acknowledged, getting a playful _hmph_ from him as she made sure the tulips' petals were still alright. “But Iroha told me you and Piko came by the servant’s quarters after I already went to bed.”

“ _What?_ ” Fukase blurted out, turning his head to face Rin’s knowing, amused smile. “That lying little...I told her to keep it a secret!”

Rin laughed. “Have you ever known her to _keep secrets,_ Fukase?”

“Well, she's sure kept her mouth shut about Len and Prince Kaito this whole time, hasn't she?” The knight groaned quietly, folding his arms across his chest. “Whatever. You probably would’ve figured it out, anyway.”

“You’re not wrong. I had a feeling it was you before she even said anything.”

The redhead fought the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation. “Of _course_ you did.”

"Promise you and Piko didn't take any of those from the gardens?" Rin asked, coming to join him while no one else was still around.

"Darling," Fukase set up, fully aware that she already knew the truth just from one look at him, "I can't promise just _anything_."

" _Right_. Well, I'm not I'm going to be the one that scolds you two for it when your secret's out."

...Ah. That was right. Avanna definitely wasn't going to be happy with them once she noticed. "Looking forward to it," he deadpanned.

"But, if I could ask...what’s the occasion?"

“Do I really need a reason to spoil you with something nice every once in a while? It's enough that your brother's even letting me make these kinds of advances in the first place, isn't it?”

The girl raised a brow in suspicion. “You’re not Len, and I’m not the prince.”

Fukase sighed and dropped his arms. “Seriously. There’s no occasion.”

Rin blinked. “...Really?”

“Why is that so surprising? I just...thought you’ve been working really hard lately, getting things ready for the princess’ birthday and all. Figured you deserved _some_ form of thanks, since I doubt the king and queen have anything planned.”

“Fukase...”

"You deserve the world," he mumbled. "If I could, I would've taken all the stars from the sky and given them to you a long time ago. In fact, if it was my decision, this kingdom would be yours right now."

Rin giggled softly against the side of her hand, her face growing pink. "I think I'm fine not being royalty, but since when have you been so...poetic?"

"...Heh. Who knows?" Fukase gave a grin that seemed almost smug. "Maybe I've just been hanging out with your lovestruck fool of a brother for too long."

Rin scoffed. "Oh, _tell_ me about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fukase: if you were a flower you'd be a damnnndelion  
> rin: dandelions are weeds
> 
> btw some of the kaito knockoffs (specifically akaito/kaiko/taito/nigaito bc they're really the only ones i care enough abt lol) did end up being kaito’s younger siblings in this au...and yes the princess in question is kaiko


	12. on the rocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: gakukiyo  
> prompt: family + married
> 
> \--gakupo keeps kiyoteru company during work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these two rly are just the "they're both mature adults and do mature adult things together" ship for me lol
> 
> there's a little more context from "ride or die" in this one but ig basically all you need to know is that i hc yuki and kiyoteru to be adoptive siblings...just putting this out here so the way i mentioned her doesn't sound weird
> 
> anyways,,, bartender kiyo au for your troubles? (´･ω･`)

“You ever think about what it would be like if we had kids?” Gakupo muttered without thinking, looking down at the nearly empty tumbler in his hand.

Kiyoteru choked on his spit at the other side of the counter. He looked around the bar, relieved that no one else was there but them at this late hour, and then stole a glance at his husband’s clearly amused face. “Uh...where is this coming from all of a sudden? And why are we talking about this here?”

Gakupo shrugged. “I mean, we’re alone, and it just crossed my mind. Why? Something wrong with what I said?”

“...No,” the brunet responded quietly, wiping down the last wine glass in his hand. “...Is this because Miki said we looked like we could pass for Yuki's parents the other day?”

“I can't say it's not.” He took another sip from his glass. “So?”

“Well...I guess I _do_ think about it sometimes.”

An interested smile crossed Gakupo’s lips. “Oh?”

“I...just kind of feel like...we need to work on ourselves a little longer before we can be responsible for someone else.”

“What do you mean?”

Kiyoteru placed the clean glass onto the rack behind him. “Well, _you’re_ still having trouble finding a stable job.”

“Right.”

“And _I’m_ probably working one of the least parent-friendly jobs there is in this city.”

“Okay, I get it,” the purple-haired man said, throwing back the last of his drink as the almost-melted ice cubes inside clinked softly against the glass. “You don’t think we’re ready. That’s fine.”

“ _Gakupo,_ ” Kiyoteru said, his voice both stern and gentle in the way that it was whenever their quarrels led him into thinking he had to defend himself, “I just don’t want to be _that_ parent. Okay? If we’re going to adopt, I don’t want to make them feel like this is more important than them.”

“I know, I know,” Gakupo replied, trying to get him to come back down before he could start. “Sorry. I don't mean to make you think I’m trying to rush things.”

“No, it's fine.” The younger man took the empty rocks glass and put his hand on the door leading into the kitchen before stopping and turning back towards Gakupo. “I think we should leave this conversation for later, though.”

“That's alright. We've got plenty of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just as my art block was going away i started getting writer's block to replace it.....we love to see it _(:3」∠)_


	13. wanna hear me talk about dyson spheres?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: pikoiro  
> prompt: childhood friends + stargazing + future
> 
> \--iroha helps piko cope with change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey most of my fall semester finals are over and i now have more time to put more energy into being creative (´∀｀) after tomorrow i'll only have one more left........

Piko shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

Iroha regarded him with concerned hazel eyes from the other swing seat next to him. “Huh? You don’t get what?”

“I don’t get how you just...accept huge changes so quickly. Like...you act like this is normal.”

“Well...isn’t change normal?”

“Yeah, but are big changes like this normal for you?” Piko asked quietly. “You were just saying I haven’t changed at all in the last three years, but...you’re way different from the last time I saw you. Obviously, I’m overexaggerating, but it’s almost like you changed overnight. I don’t really know what to do.”

“Then...let’s start slow,” Iroha offered. “Take it one step at a time.”

Piko attempted a deep breath, but let it out too quickly. The pounding in his head worsened, and he let go of the one of the swing chains to bring his hand to his forehead in a nearly fruitless attempt to soothe it.

“You okay?” he heard Iroha say.

“Sorry,” he managed. “I’m getting dizzy.”

“Come on.” Iroha stood and took Piko’s free hand, letting him stand slowly from the swing seat and allow her to lead. “Lie down with me in the grass. We can relax there.”

The girl led him out of the sandy area of the empty park’s playground and back onto the green. She let go, and the two settled down on the soft grass, staring up at the darkening sky as the clouds began to part to reveal a starry, moonless sky. “Hey, Iroha?” Piko muttered.

“Yeah?” she responded, turning in his direction.

“I noticed your room still has those glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.”

“And?”

Piko turned his head to her. “Are you still into space stuff?”

Iroha’s smile widened. “Actually, I lost interest after you moved away, but Yukari got me back into it right before college started. I guess that’s one thing that hasn’t changed too much about me, huh?”

“I guess so. Do you think you could...just talk about space for a while? I need a distraction.”

“You underestimate my capacity for talking about space,” she laughed. “You sure, though? It might get a little boring.”

“You? _Boring?_ ” Piko scoffed. “You couldn’t manage that if you tried.”

Iroha held in another laugh. “Okay, then. What do you want me to talk about?”

“...What’s your favorite part about space?”

He watched a spark light up in Iroha’s eyes as a determined look spread across her face, and he knew that if they hadn’t been so relaxed on the ground, she would have cleared her throat and cracked her knuckles in preparation. "I hope you're ready for a whole lecture."

A small chuckle escaped Piko's lips. He'd definitely missed this feeling. "We've got all night. Bring it on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've,,, actually never had any of kind of hc about iroha being into space (that's my hc for yukari lmao) but whatever lmao


	14. masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ship: kailen/bg rinkase  
> prompt: genderswap (sort of??) + alternate timeline + coffeeshop
> 
> \--len pretends to be someone he’s not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SKIPPED THE BATHING TOGETHER PROMPT I CHICKENED OUT LMAO.......
> 
> also since i’ve been deep into the yakuza/ryu ga gotoku series in the last couple months, here’s smth within the au i made based off it lol. for context, kaito is a host and len co-owns a cafe with rin, and len pretends to be a woman on his visits to the host club kaito works at

The whole "visiting a host club once every weekend" thing hadn't been Len's idea in the first place, but he couldn't say he hadn't found himself looking forward to it with time.

Rin had been the first to voice the fact that he hadn't made a ton of friends since they moved to Kabukicho to take over their parents' cafe a few months back, and despite his protests, she'd insisted that he needed someone other than her to talk to in this city--and what better place to find someone to converse with than a host club?

By the time he realized Rin hadn't recommended going to a hostess club instead, it was already too late; Kaito, the cute host in the dark blue suit that he'd been paired with the first time he came in, had already caught his eye.

All of a sudden, the pit of his stomach was swarming with butterflies and deceiving Kaito felt wrong, and it grated against Len's conscience. He had to let him know eventually that the golden-haired woman in the pastel pink blouson dress, brown stockings, and black heels--the fake persona he'd created out of the clothes that Rin had picked out for him--was not who he thought she was. And wasn't that why he'd come back today? What was he so afraid of, then?

“Tough week at work?”

Len raised his eyes up to the man at his side, noticing the worry in Kaito's cobalt eyes and realizing he had been quietly lost in his thoughts the whole time. “Oh, uh…” He lifted his hand and tucked a few strands of hair behind his ear--a nervous habit he’d developed after seeing Rin do it too many times when they were younger--and revealing a small pearl stud attached to his lobe. “Actually, it's been okay lately.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. My sister said the patriarch of the Satoshi Family saved her from some creeps while she was out a few days ago, and now they've suddenly gone quiet about hounding us for protection money. Hopefully, it stays that way.”

Kaito smiled, charming as ever, and let out a small, relieved breath of air through his nose. “I see. Well, that's good. I'm glad things are going well.”

“Thanks. But...why do you ask?”

“You just...seemed a bit on edge coming in today, is all," the blue-haired man answered, Len hyperaware of the sincerity in his voice. "I thought something must have been going on, but I didn’t really want to wait for the drinks to get here if it was something you really wanted to talk about.”

Len bit his lip against his own scripted smile, hoping his anxiety wasn't too obvious. _Oh,_ if only he knew. The blonde folded his hands onto his lap, the fabric of his pink dress rustling quietly under his left palm. “N...no. Nothing's going on. I appreciate the concern, though.”

Kaito nodded. “No problem. If you ever need anything from me, though, you have my number.”

“Right. Thanks.”

A waiter approached their table with a bottle of white wine in his hand, and Kaito accepted it before he went on his way again. As he began to pour their drinks, a thoughtful smile crossed his pink lips. “You know...I just realized I've never actually been to your cafe before. Maybe I should change that sometime?”

“If you really want to, I guess,” Len replied, trying to keep his voice constant. “Careful, though. I’m a...really different person when I’m at work.”

Kaito laughed, and Len almost lost himself in the sound. “I’m looking forward to seeing it. I do wonder how different you are there compared to when you come to meet me here.”

Len forced another casual smile as he felt his heart flutter and drop at the same time in his chest, praying to whatever higher power would listen that things wouldn't change for the worse. “You'd be surprised, I'm sure.”

Kaito raised his glass, and Len clinked his own against it before taking a sip.

Today wasn’t going to be the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *satoshi is the last name of fukase's voice provider  
> *i would have used kamurocho instead of kabukicho (which is where kamurocho is based on) but i opted for the real place instead out of personal preference lol
> 
> if you're wondering why this one's so detailed all of a sudden, it's bc my fall semester ended a couple days ago and now all my energy that isn't being used to do anything else is going into finishing this book/ch 4 of the huge kailen fic lmao
> 
> edit 12/24/20: this is the last drabble bc ch 15 ended up being its own entirely separate thing but i do have a bonus chapter in the works based on a prompt from the nsfw version of the otp-tober prompt list made by the same person but the actual drabble is more fluff than anything bc i’m a coward lmao + the most that’ll happen to the rating of the fic is it’ll go up to mature just for the implications but that’s abt it...but i’ll put it up if i want to/if any of y’all want to see it too


End file.
